DirtonDirt.com exclusive
Grading top drivers with Speedweeks report card
By Kyle McFadden
DirtonDirt.com staff reporter
(Josh James and Chris Anderson photos)
Evaluating 15 drivers after Georgia-Florida Speedweeks — the top six in points on last year’s national tours and three wild cards picks — among events at Golden Isles Speedway near Brunswick, Ga., Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla., All-Tech Raceway in Ellisville, Fla., Screven Motor Speedway in Sylvania, Ga., Needmore Speedway in Norman Park, Ga., and Ocala (Fla.) Speedway. Grading is on a curve, taking the driver’s expectations into account. Listed alphabetically (complete Speedweeks coverage):
A
Garrett Alberson, Las Cruces, N.M.
Victories: Jan. 25 at Volusia (World of Outlaws) and Feb. 13 at Volusia (World of Outlaws)
Total earnings (average finish): $57,660 (11.5)
Top-five finishes (feature starts): 6 (14)
Best night: Alberson dispatches Jimmy Owens on Jan. 25 to lead final nine laps for first career Volusia victory and first career World of Outlaws and Speedweeks win.
Worst night: Fails to qualify for Jan. 24’s WoO feature at Volusia, backsliding from the pole of his B-main to one spot short of a transfer.
Points: 6th on Lucas Oil Series.
Evaluation: Continuing to raise his star, the fourth-year touring driver emerged as one of four drivers to win multiple features alongside Jonathan Davenport, Devin Moran and Ricky Thornton Jr.
C
Kyle Bronson, Brandon, Fla.
Victories: None
Total earnings (average finish): $23,280 (15.9)
Top-five finishes (feature starts): 2 (16)
Best night: Third-place finish Feb. 6 at Ocala behind Jonathan Davenport and Brandon Overton on a night he won his heat race and started from the front row.
Worst night: Scratching from Feb. 11’s action at Volusia after blowing an engine while leading his heat race.
Points: 11th on Lucas Oil Series; 13th with World of Outlaws
Evaluation: The Floridian shows flashes of speed, but ultimately goes winless for his fourth straight Speedweeks that saw a slight decrease in production (three top-fives in 2024 to two this year).
A+
Jonathan Davenport, Blairsville, Ga.
Victories: Feb. 5-6 at Ocala Speedway (Lucas Oil); Feb. 12 at Volusia (DIRTcar semifeature) and Feb. 16 at Volusia
Total earnings (average finish): $101,600 (4.6)
Top-five finishes (feature starts): 12 (15)
Best night: Davenport leads 30 laps unchallenged Feb. 5 at Ocala after winning a heat race and starting on the pole in Wieland Winter Nationals action.
Worst night: Using a provisional after a heat race mishap, Davenport clobbered the wall in Jan. 31’s Lucas Oil feature at All-Tech and finished 21st.
Points: 1st on Lucas Oil Series.
Evaluation: The Double L Motorsports team came away as the only six-figure earner from Speedweeks where Davenport won multiple races for the first time since he won three features in 2019.
B-
Cade Dillard, Robeline, La.
Victories: None
Total earnings (average finish): $13,200 (9.8)
Top-five finishes (feature starts): 1 (8)
Best night: Started second and finished second to Ricky Thornton Jr. in Feb. 12’s Triple 20s at Volusia, coming 0.008 of a second shy of fast time in the 19-car field.
Worst night: Clawed his way to a 19th-place finish Feb. 13 at Volusia aboard backup car after taking a provisional for losing power steering in his consolation race.
Points: 11th with World of Outlaws.
Evaluation: Turned in a respectable Speedweeks, placing runner-up to RTJ in Feb. 13’s Triple 20s action at Volusia and leading laps in seventh-place run on Feb. 10. Also qualified for all eight Volusia features.
B+
Ethan Dotson, Bakersfield, Calif.
Victories: None
Total earnings (average finish): $28,810 (13.4)
Top-five finishes (feature starts): Five (13)
Best night: Runner-up to Hudson O’Neal on Jan. 28 at Needmore’s Hunt the Front action from the 14th starting spot.
Worst night: Missed Feb. 10’s DIRTcar Nationals feature by spot in the consolation.
Points: Sixth in World of Outlaws.
Evaluation: Speedweeks newbie takes well to winter miniseries, twice a runner-up and in contention for a victory at Volusia until Ricky Thornton Jr. jumps the cushion to trigger a collision that eliminates Dotson.
B
Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa
Victories: Jan. 24 at Volusia (World of Outlaws)
Total earnings (average finish): $27,800 (13.8)
Top-five finishes (feature starts): 3 (12)
Best night: Turning back Nick Hoffman’s challenge, Gustin commands the last half of Jan. 24’s feature at Volusia for convincing victory on WoO’s opening night.
Worst night: Fails to qualify for Feb. 8’s Winternationals finale at Ocala, finishing four spots shy of a transfer.
Points: 1st with World of Outlaws.
Evaluation: When Gustin found his rhythm, he looked like the driver to beat. But when he didn’t, he struggled with six finishes of 14th or worse in 14 appearances (including two DNQs) slowed an otherwise promising Speedweeks.
B+
Nick Hoffman, Mooresville, N.C.
Victories: Feb. 10 at Volusia (DIRTcar Nationals)
Total earnings (average finish): $22,000 (10.6)
Top-five finishes (feature starts): 2 (8)
Best night: Led final 15 of 25 laps for Feb. 10’s DIRTcar Nationals victory at Volusia in a fog-shrouded affair.
Worst night: Credited with a 28th-place finish after wrecking on lap 24 of Feb. 13’s World of Outlaws feature at Volusia.
Points: 4th with World of Outlaws.
Evaluation: The Tye Twarog Racing driver contended regularly in eight races at Volusia, but four incidents — flat tires or wrecks — thwarted his chances at a multivictory Speedweeks.
C+
Tim McCreadie, Watertown, N.Y.
Victories: None
Total earnings (average finish): $24,230 (17.2)
Top-five finishes (feature starts): 4 (14)
Best night: Started fifth and finished fourth Feb. 5 at Ocala’s Winternationals in non-points Lucas Oil feature.
Worst night: Fails to qualify for Feb. 10’s DIRTcar Nationals feature at Volusia after hopping the cushion while leading his heat race.
Points: 12th with World of Outlaws; 17th on Lucas Oil Series.
Evaluation: After starting strong with five top-10s in opening eight Speedweeks races, T-Mac fails to qualify for three of last six Volusia features, hampering his early momentum.
A
Devin Moran, Dresden, Ohio
Victories: Feb. 1 at All-Tech (Lucas Oil); Feb. 4 at Ocala (Lucas Oil); Feb. 8 at Ocala (Lucas Oil); and Feb. 14 at Volusia (World of Outlaws)
Total earnings (average finish): $90,700 (7.1)
Top-five finishes (feature starts): 13 (15)
Best night: Later calling the victory one of his most rewarding, Moran outduels RTJ and Davenport for Feb. 1’s Lucas Oil feature at All-Tech.
Worst night: Moran fails to qualify for Jan. 24’s WoO opener at Volusia, his night turning for the worst when he backslid from third to sixth in his heat race.
Points: 2nd on Lucas Oil Series.
Evaluation: Reeling off a career-best four wins during Speedweeks and the second-most earnings at $90,700, Moran was nearly flawless in Florida and Georgia, his lone blemish being Jan. 24’s missed feature at Volusia.
C+
Hudson O’Neal, Martinsville, Ind.
Victories: Jan. 28 at Needmore (Hunt the Front)
Total earnings (average finish): $35,055 (15.1)
Top-five finishes (feature starts): Four (12)
Best night: Led all 30 laps for Jan. 28’s $10,000 Hunt the Front victory at Needmore aboard Kevin Rumley’s No. 6 machine.
Worst night: Fails to qualify for Feb. 13’s WoO feature at Volusia as SSI team undergoes electrical issues that plagues rest of DIRTcar Nationals.
Points: 8th on Lucas Oil Series.
Evaluation: A victory and four top-fives would be a fine Speedweeks for most, but 2023 Lucas Oil champ doesn’t match up with his superstar counterparts as inconsistencies and mechanical failures spoil momentum.
B
Brandon Overton, Evans, Ga.
Victories: Feb. 12 at Volusia (DIRTcar semifeature)
Total earnings (average finish): $41,900 (9.2)
Top-five finishes (feature starts): 8 (18)
Best night: Led every lap of Feb. 12’s Triple 20 at Volusia for 0.725-second victory over brother Cody.
Worst night: Couldn’t complete all the laps in 29th-place finish Jan. 25 at Volusia.
Points: 4th on Lucas Oil Series.
Evaluation: Not the flashiest Speedweeks, but a steady one nonetheless as Longhorn Factory Team driver posts third-best average finish and fifth-most earnings at $41,900.
C
Bobby Pierce, Oakwood, Ill.
Victories: None
Total earnings (average finish): $20,100 (11.5)
Top-five finishes (feature starts): 3 (10)
Best night: Runner-up to Garrett Alberson on Feb. 13 at Volusia, although a caution robbed him of potential victory.
Worst night: Scratched from Feb. 8’s Winternationals finale at Ocala on a night he finished seventh in his heat and qualified 16th of 24 in his group.
Points: Third with World of Outlaws.
Evaluation: Can’t segue 4-for-5 Wild West Shootout dominance into Speedweeks, where he goes winless and posts 19th-most earnings at $20,100. He does finish inside the top-10 in all but two feature starts.
C
Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, Ill.
Victories: None
Total earnings (average finish): $28,250 (11.5)
Top-five finishes (feature starts): 1 (17)
Best night: Starting third and finishing fourth Feb. 6 at Ocala’s Winternationals sanctioned by the Lucas Oil Series.
Worst night: Third-to-last car on lead lap in 24th-place finish Feb. 15 at Volusia’s DIRTcar Nationals finale.
Points: 10th with Lucas Oil Series.
Evaluation: Consistently in the bottom half of the top 10, only posting one top-five finish in 17 races but finishing among the top-10 on 10 occasions.
C-
Brian Shirley, Chatham, Ill.
Victories: None
Total earnings (average finish): $15,735 (20.1)
Top-five finishes (feature starts): 2 (12)
Best night: Starting sixth and finishing fifth behind Tyler Bruening, Davenport, Overton and Moran on Jan. 17 at Golden Isles’s Lucas Oil opener.
Worst night: Car goes up in flames while leading Jan. 28’s heat race at Needmore on the Hunt the Front Super Dirt Series.
Points: 14th with World of Outlaws.
Evaluation: Ill-fated to start the season, Shirley must be glad to see Speedweeks end as the winter meet doled out 10 finishes of 20th or worse (five DNQs included) in his 17 races. His no-quit attitude keeps his grade from dipping lower.
A-
Ricky Thornton Jr., Chandler, Ariz.
Victories: Jan. 30-31 at All-Tech (Lucas Oil); Feb. 11 at Volusia (DIRTcar); Feb. 12 at Volusia (DIRTcar semifeature)
Total earnings (average finish): $73,710 (9.6)
Top-five finishes (feature starts): 10 (15)
Best night: Putting on the afterburners once taking the lead on lap 29 of 50, Thornton dominates Jan. 31’s Lucas Oil feature at All-Tech by 8.423 seconds.
Worst night: Fails to qualify for Jan. 24’s WoO feature at Volusia after opening-lap consolation wreck wiped him out.
Points: Third on Lucas Oil Series.
Evaluation: Shakes off poor Speedweeks start to win four of 12 features while also placing inside the top-five in 10 of those final dozen starts. He's third in Speedweeks earnings.
Editor's note: Average feature finishes computation include events when drivers failed to make main events, counting positions in consolation races beyond feature starting spots.
